UFood Restaurant Group, www.ufoodgrill.com – the operator/franchisor of the UFood Grill fast-casual food service restaurants, which offer a delicious line of healthy cuisine in the “better for you” quick-serve segment, reported the award of a contract by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), to open two locations at the Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) in Maryland.
CEO of UFFC, George Naddaff, founder of Boston Market, who led the franchising of several companies like the wildly successful Sylvan Learning Center, spoke warmly of this exciting opportunity to bring the UFood concept to the men and women in the military and said this deal opens a vast new operational channel for the Company.
Naddaff exuded confidence that the great tasting, quick-service and good for you menu was an ideal fit for the military lifestyle, as every meal is packed with the vital nutrients high-activity regimens demand. The huge UFood Grill menu has everything from lean burgers, wraps and rice bowl dishes to tasty smoothies and salads, a selection already tried and tested at the Company’s other eight locations in major markets like Boston, Cleveland and Dallas where the Company has a successful unit in the Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Airports, like hospitals, are a great analogue for military bases, high foot traffic and the demand for quick-service, a stream of people eager to get a satisfying, yet healthy meal and go off to their next activity – UFood Grill has already proven the success of its model at major airports like Dallas Ft. Worth International, Cleveland Hopkins International and Logan Airport.
So firm is the Company’s commitment to nutrition and this new channel that UFFC recently established a Health & Nutrition Advisory Panel, drawing on experienced personnel from serving and retired military, to act as an advisor as the Company continues to pursue development at military bases.
The APG, founded in 1917 as a materials proving ground for the US Army, employs a full complement of some 16k persons from civilian and contractors to military, focusing on military intelligence, engineering, computer technology and medical research. The 72k-acre APG site houses some 70 tenants in over 2k buildings (nearly 15M sq. feet).
UFood Grill has also been listed on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) official list of SBA-reviewed franchise systems, known as the Franchise Registry, placing UFood Grill in a prime position when it comes to loan approval for franchise investors and obtaining a consistent eligibility decision.
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